Vantage - Cragging

April 2008

We had planned on going to Vantage last weekend, but due to the crappy weather forecast we postponed until this weekend. It turned out to be a great idea, because the weather this weekend was pretty ideal.

Myself, Evan, and Valerie Headed out Friday night (a bit later than expected, as someone who shall remain nameless got a bit wasted instead of packing :). After stopping by a store for too much food, we were on the road and headed toward our destination. We made a quick stop at a rest area for some coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies(rest areas rock) then proceeded on and set up camp.

**This was my first time there, so I don't know the route names, and may occasionally screw up wall names as well**

We woke up around 8AM, and got a pretty leisurely start. We headed to the Feathers, and started off with an 8, followed by some 9's and 10's. We usually all led the routes, with the first person placing the draws and the next climbers just clipping into preplaced gear. We got about 4-5 routes in there then headed back to the car for some lunch. After lunch, it was a quick hike into the sunshine wall, and a fun climb on ride'em cowboy. After each of us had tackled that, we headed along the sunshine to a place called gulley #3(?). Climbed a few more routes there and late in the afternoon our friend Josh showed up with his buddy Ben. Neither had done much outdoors, so we set up some topropes for them and got them on the wall. With it getting to be late, and a lot of climbing under our belts, we headed back for camp. Dinner was made, and lots of drinking was done(mostly by me). Apparently, around 1AM Jimmy and Aaron showed up and set up their tent.

We got an earlier start the next morning, and broke into two groups. I'll let the other group post what they did. My group consisted of myself, Evan, Ben and Josh. Evan and I aspired to teach our own version of the lead climbing class, and we started on some easier routes on the feathers. Josh took his first lead, and had quite a problem with back clipping which in an oddly humerous way, persisted almost all day(at the end he realized why he was continually doing it, and was able to clip properly). It was a common chorus of you're backclipping, no you're back clipping on most of his leads. Ben didn't have a problem with the clipping, and both of them made remarkable progress in one day of climbing. We climbed 4-5 routes at the Feathers, then headed to the sunshine wall where each of them tried their hand at ride'em cowboy. Ben successfully led, and Josh made it part of the way then top roped it. We headed down to some new looking routes on the fat man wall, climbed those then called it a day.

If you like Mexican food, you must stop in Ellensburg at Tacos Chiltos. Its a rather permanent taco wagon on the main street. Coming from 90, it will be on your left. Super cheap, and delicious.

I was pretty stunned by how big vantage is. there are so many routes there, and the climbing was fantastic. It was really awesome to meet Ben, and it was nice to be able to help he and Josh along and watch them progress. Pretty neat. Good fun was had by all.